Scaled VR engagement and views in an e-sports event

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure describes methods and systems directed towards providing scaled engagement and views of an e-sports event. Instead of providing the same distribution of live e-sport event data to all remote viewers of a live e-sports event, features associated with e-sports gaming network could be used to customize the distribution of live e-sport event data to promote immersive viewer experience. The enhanced immersion can also be carried out in a virtual reality or augmented reality setting. The features would be capable of providing additional information, different views, and a variety of different commentators for the e-sports event so that the viewer can be more engaged when viewing the particular e-sports event. With the increased engagement from remote viewers, the distribution of live e-sports event data can also be further modified for monetization by incorporating advertisements as well.

BACKGROUND Field of Invention

The present invention generally relates to electronic sports (e-sports).More specifically, the present invention relates to scaled virtualreality (VR) engagement and views in an e-sports event.

Description of the Related Art

Competitive gaming, commonly referred to as electronic sports or“eSports,” involve the play of video games in a competitive environment.Videogame competitions have existed for nearly as long as video gamesthemselves. Early competitions were set up as tournament style matchesbetween players focused on one particular game, often tied to a newproduct release. Eventually, competitive leagues and a constant streamof tournaments evolved to provide structure for the eSports community.Players now have the option of competing in a vast array of professionaland amateur competitions held at physical locations or in virtualcompetitions conducted online. Leagues and content providers such asMajor League Gaming (MLG), and Global StarCraft® League, provideopportunities for competition and to find information about competitivegaming. Until recently, participation in competitive gaming hasdemonstrated a gradual and steady pace in growth. However, competitivegaming is presently undergoing a rapid expansion in participation andinterest.

The video game competitions generally involve professional players in avariety of different organized multiplayer video game competitions.Common e-sport video games genres include real-time strategy (e.g.StarCraft 2, WarCraft 3), fighting (e.g. Smash Bros, Street Fighter),first-person shooter (e.g. Counter-Strike, Overwatch), and multiplayeronline battle arena (e.g. League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm).

There are a number of existing tournaments for e-sports that provideprize money to competitors as well distributions of the video gamecompetition (for example via live broadcasts or streams) for viewersaround the world. In 2013, it was estimated that 71.5 million peopleworldwide watched some form of e-sport competition. Individual eventsmay have over 1 million unique viewers.

Currently there is a limited number of existing online streaming mediaplatforms that allow for the promotion of e-sports competitions andmonetization of the streams associated with the e-sports competitions.Although there have been moves towards gaming companies to provide morefocus towards e-sports with its growing popularity, the present way thee-sports competitions are distributed to the viewers to view (forexample via broadcasts) do not have many customizable features thatcould provide more engagement for the viewers. Generally, thedistributed information provided to the various viewers on the e-sportscompetition streams pale in comparison to the experience and informationthat is available to viewers who attend the live e-sports competition.There is a need to provide more customization to the distribution ofe-sport competition information (for example via broadcasts or streams)in order to provide better engagement and monetization capabilities forusers who view the e-sport competitions remotely.

Furthermore, with the improvements and availability of virtual reality(and augmented reality), there is a need to also implement these mediumsas a means to provide more immersive user viewing experience of e-sportevents.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention include a method for providingscaled engagement and views of a live electronic sport (e-sport) event.The method first collects information from a live e-sport event. Thecollected information is then processed in order to generate detailedstatistics about the players within the live e-sport event. Using thecollected information, an e-sport event display is generated regardingthe live e-sport event. The e-sport event display is then modified usingthe generated detailed statistics. The modified e-sport event display isthen distributed for viewing (for example via a live broadcast orstream) by remote viewers, wherein the modified e-sport event display isspecific to that remote viewer.

Embodiments of the present invention also include a system for providingscaled engagement and views of a live electronic sport (e-sport) event.The system includes an event server that collects information from alive e-sport event. A gaming server is also included that is used toprocess the collected e-sport event information. Using the collectedinformation, the gaming server also generates an e-sport event displayand modifies the display using the processed information. The modifiede-sport event display is distributed to remote viewers on theirrespective user devices. The system also includes a plurality ofdatabases used for storing information useful for generating andmodifying the e-sport event displays.

Embodiments of the present invention include a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, theprogram being executable by a processor to perform a method forproviding scaled engagement and views of a live electronic sport(e-sport) event. The method first collects information from a livee-sport event. The collected information is then processed in order togenerate detailed statistics about the players within the live e-sportevent. Using the collected information, an e-sport event display isgenerated regarding the live e-sport event. The e-sport event display isthen modified using the generated detailed statistics. The modifiede-sport event display is then distributed for viewing by remote viewers,wherein the modified e-sport event display is specific to that remoteviewer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system for scaled engagement and views in an e-sports event.

FIG. 2 is a user device used in context of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is the gaming network of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a method for providing the scaled engagement and views to aremote viewer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes methods and systems directed towardsproviding scaled engagement and views of an e-sports event. Instead ofproviding the same distribution of information of a live e-sports eventto all remote viewers (e.g. live broadcast or stream), featuresassociated with e-sports gaming network could be used to customize videodistribution of the e-sports events to promote immersive viewerexperience. In addition, customization can also be provided to typicalvideo distribution. The features would be capable of providingadditional information, different views, and a variety of differentcommentators for the e-sports event so that the viewer can be moreengaged when viewing the particular e-sports event. With the increasedengagement from remote viewers, the e-sports distributions can also befurther modified for monetization with the implementation ofadvertisements.

The enhanced immersion can also be carried out by implementing morecustomization in viewing the e-sports events in a virtual reality oraugmented reality setting. The virtual reality or augmented realityembodiments may include features that allow for the simulation of thee-sport event and provide the viewer a more immersive view. For example,viewers may be provided a viewing experience (for example, withviewpoint of the e-sport event from a particular seat, crowd noise andinteractions) as if the viewer was actually viewing the event from thelocation the e-sport event was being held at. Virtual reality oraugmented reality can also be used to render a perspective for theviewer as if the viewer was within the video game as well.

As referred to herein, an e-sports event is a competition involving anumber of different video game competitors. The video game used for thecompetition can vary from a wide variety of genres and titles. Peoplecan attend and view live e-sport events much like other typical sports(e.g. football, basketball) in designated arenas or stadiums. People canalso view these live e-sports events remotely via distributions to theirrespective computing devices 120 via an e-sport event stream. Much likehow sporting events (e.g. football) are distributed to remote viewersand are able to provide an immersive experience to users with theimplementation of additional commentary, statistics, and illustrations,the present application aims to incorporate and automate these samefeatures within the realm of distribution of live e-sports event.

FIG. 1 is a system 100 for scaled engagement and views in an e-sportsevent. The scaled engagement and views can be implemented via VR andnon-VR features. The system 100 would also facilitate monetization ofthe e-sports events with the various remote viewers on their respectiveuser computing devices 120.

As an overview, the system 100 provides distribution of e-sport eventdata from a live e-sport event 110 to various remote users on theirrespective computing devices 120. The distribution may include, forexample, live broadcast streams from which remote viewers may view ontheir respective computing devices 120. The e-sport event data from thelive e-sport event 110 is collected and processed at event server 130.The e-sport event data from the live e-sport event 110 is thentransmitted to the gaming server 140 that performs the modifications tothe e-sport event data. Described in further detail below, themodifications to the e-sport event data at the gaming server 140 mayinclude incorporation of statistics and illustrations highlighting keyevents within the e-sport event data. Furthermore, the game server 140can also change viewer perspectives of the e-sport event data viaselection of different point of views (e.g. different playerperspective, different perspective within the video game), addcommentators to the live-event data, add audio (e.g. cheers, taunts,interactions) related to the crowd attending the live e-sport event, andimplement monetization features (e.g. advertisements from an ad database180).

After any numbers of modifications have been performed by the gamingserver 140, the e-sport event data can then be provided to the publicnetwork 150 where users on their computing devices 120 can receive andview the e-sport event data. Exemplary computing devices 120 may includelaptops, desktops, mobile devices, and tablets. The viewing of thee-sports data can be performed in a VR or non-VR environment. The usersmay be able to directly download the e-sport event data to theircomputing devices 120 through the use of various software applicationsinstalled on the computing devices 120. In other situations, web-basedapplications or streaming services may provide user access to andviewing of the e-sports event data. Users may then be able to view thee-sports event data as a video stream inclusive of all the modificationssuch as statistics, commentators, crowd interactions, and advertisementadded by the gaming server 140.

As noted above, the e-sports event data may be provided to the computingdevices 120 to be implemented using virtual reality (VR) or augmentedreality (AR) as another way to display the e-sport event data forfurther user immersion. For example, VR or AR implementation couldprovide a user perspective as if the user viewpoint is the same as thoseparticipating within the video competition or the same as a characterwithin the video game of the video competition. VR or AR may also allowfor the modification of the display of the e-sport event data such asproviding different ways to modify user viewpoint of the video game oradd additional data (e.g. statistics, highlights) to highlight aspectsof the e-sport event data. VR or AR can also be used to simulate aviewing experience as if the viewer was attending the live e-sportevent. For example, viewers could be assigned a view based on a ticketpurchase, be provided audio (e.g. cheers, taunt) of other attendees, andbe provided functions (e.g. chat) that would allow interaction with theother attendees. Further details regarding the features of the system100 and how each of the features are used to carry out the scaledengagement and views for an e-sport event will be provided below.

The event server 130 obtains e-sport data from a live e-sport event 110.The live e-sport event 110 can be a video game competition held at apredetermined location such as an arena or stadium dedicated toe-sports. The live e-sport event data obtained from the live e-sportevent 110 would include gameplay information associated with each of thevideo game competitors participating within the live e-sport event 110.

As an example, if the live e-sport event 110 is a first-person shootergame between ten different players (e.g. 5 versus 5 match), the livee-sport event data would be the gameplay data associated with each ofthose ten players during the match. The gameplay data being obtainedfrom the live e-sport event 110 may include video gameplay informationassociated with each player's individual interactions with respect tothe videogame such as each of their point of view and game state withinthe video game at any given moment in time. The gameplay data may alsoinclude different player's inputs (e.g. keyboard and mouse inputs) andcommunications (e.g. voice and text chat) between teammates that eachcompetitor provides during the course of the match as well.

The event server 130, in the process of obtaining gameplay data for eachplayer, can also obtain video recordings of each player during thecourse of the match. The video recordings may be recordings of eachplayer's screen as the video game match is occurring. The videorecording may also be an in-game perspective of the video game matchusing features (e.g. spectator camera perspectives) associated with thevideo game. This video data can be provided to the gaming server 140 tobe used in the distribution of the live e-sport event (or used tosupplement rendered gameplay video from the gaming server 140) sent tothe users on their computing devices 120.

The event server 130 may also be capable of obtaining informationrelated to video game being played during the e-sport event 110. Forexample, microphones, cameras, and/or sensors may be used to captureinformation about the audience attending the live e-sport event 110.Furthermore, any audio and video related to on-site commentators canalso be captured by the event server 130.

The event server 130 can store the information obtained from the livee-sport event data in an event database 170. The event database 170 maybe used to store the video data as well as any gameplay informationretrieved from the event server 130. The information stored within theevent database 170 can be accessed by the gaming server 140 as needed,for example, to generate statistics related to past performance ofparticular players for use in any e-sport event stream.

The gaming sever 140 generates the e-sport event data that will bedistributed to users on their computing devices 120. The distribution ofe-sport event data may generally include a video recording of the livee-sports event 110 along with additional information and commentaryaimed at immersing the user when viewing the live e-sports event. Thevideo recording may be obtained directly from the e-sports event 110 viathe event server 130. It may also be possible for the gaming server 140to re-render game states of the video game using only the extractgameplay data from the vent server 130. For this situation, the gamingserver 140 may have stored related video game assets associated with thevideo game associated with the e-sports event 110. By using theextracted gameplay data and the stored video game assets, the gamingserver 140 may be able to re-create video of the video game as if it wasrecorded directly via the gaming server 140.

The gaming server 140, using the live e-sport event data coming from theevent server 130, can then extract relevant information the e-sport datastreams that viewers will view on their computing devices 120. The typesof extracted information obtained by the gaming server 140 can be theinformation that viewers may find interesting.

Although video games may be capable of providing some of the informationthat the gaming server 140 may be capable of extract and processing forviewer consumption, the gaming server 140 may also be capable ofproviding additional information that video games do not typicallytrack/monitor. For example, the gaming server 140 may be able to extracteach individual statistics associated with a particular match byanalyzing the game-state and each player input during the course of thematch. Information (as applied to a first person shooter such as kills,deaths, and accuracy) may generally be available information from thevideo game. However, the gaming server 140 would be able to providefurther nuanced information from the gameplay data such as each player'sreaction time for shots and the number of near misses.

The nuanced information would be obtainable by the gaming server 140through the use of customizable instructions that allow the gamingserver 140 to aggregate relevant gameplay information and process theinformation to obtain the desired statistic. For the exemplary reactiontime for shots, the gaming server 140 may be programmed to aggregate thegameplay data and track situations when a target is spotted by a playerwithin an aiming reticle and timing when a shot is fired once the targetis spotted. With respect to near misses, game-state information can beaggregated and processed to identify for all shots that miss the target,where the shot was in relation to the target.

With the information that the gaming server 140 is able to obtain fromthe e-sport event data, metadata is generated so that such informationcan be associated with distributed live e-sport event data (e.g. videorecording of the live e-sport event) to the users on their computingdevice 120. The video recording of the e-sport event (described below)would use the metadata to associate what information should beassociated with a particular time frame of the video. For example, at aparticular part of a stream, information about a player's currentperformance can be added as a bubble nearby that player's avatar withinthe game. The metadata would be used as an indicator regarding whatinformation would go there.

Furthermore, the gaming server 140 could aggregate information from eachof the player's gameplay data in order to compile a map that is acomposite summary of the video game at any point in time. For example,first person shooters may not typically generate a comprehensive mapthat includes all the positions of each player on both teams. Generally,in-game maps would include information from one team's perspective. Theother team may be obscured (for example by “a fog of war” type effect).However, the gaming server 140 would be able to provide a fullunobstructed view of the map using game-state information from bothteams so that viewers may have a complete understanding of what ishappening within the video game at any moment. This feature would notprevent the ability of the system 100 to restrict user vision of theevent as needed (e.g. to provide a particular player's or team'sperspective).

The gaming server 140 can also provide different viewpoints of theevent. The event server 130 collects all types of information from thelive e-sport event that includes the viewpoints from different players.Furthermore, videogames may have the ability to provide differentviewpoints of the environment within the game and the gaming server 140using this feature can similarly change the viewpoint that users canview on their computing devices 120.

In a further embodiment, the gaming server 140 is capable of using thecollected information from the live e-sport event from the differentplayers in order to reconstruct a different viewpoint if such viewpointis not available within the video game. This may be done by using thecollected information from the event server 130 and the stored gameassets available to the gaming server 140. The gaming server 140 may beable to re-render what the state of the video game at a given point intime and then focus re-rendering certain portions based on the desiredfocus. This allows the gaming server 140 to provide a different (andpossibly comprehensive) view of the video game using all the informationavailable in situations where only partial information may be known byeach individual participant (e.g. eliminating “fog of war” effects).

The gaming server 140 is also capable of incorporating advertisementswithin the distribution of the live e-sport event data to facilitatemonetization. Advertisements may be stored in a dedicated advertisementdatabase 180. When needed, the gaming server 140 can query theadvertisement database 180 for the appropriate advertisement(s) to beimplemented into the distribution of the live e-sport event data. Whatadvertisement is chosen can be based on a number of different factors.For example, user profiles may be used to select types of ads aparticular user may be interested in viewing. Certain developers ortournament organizers may also indicate a set of advertisements thatshould be incorporated into the distribution of the live e-sport eventdata. The advertisements themselves may include information thatsuggests the types of users and/or streams that they may be incorporatedwith. For example, certain advertisements may be incorporated if aparticular genre or a particular video game is distributed. Theincorporation of the advertisements allows for the monetization of thelive e-sport events to many possible remote viewers on their computingdevices 120.

Commentary can also be added to the distribution of the live e-sportevent data using information obtained from the event server 130 (forexample from commentators at the live e-sport event 110). In othersituation, one or more users on their computing devices 120 may becapable of assuming a commentating role. The users that assume acommentating role may need to be verified and authenticated beforehand(so as to control who is able to commentate and provide their commentaryto remote viewers alongside the live e-sport event data), but wouldallow a variety of different commentators to commentate the same livee-sport event 110.

If authenticated and verified, these users may be provided a unique userinterface that interacts with the gaming server 140 in order to modifythe distribution of the live e-sport event data to correspond to theircommentary. For example, the commentators may be able to controlviewpoints of the game data of the e-sport event being distributed aswell as the additional information that is displayed as well. Suchfeatures would facilitate the effectiveness of the commentary allowingthe commentators to focus on events within the distribution of the livee-sport event data and provide corresponding details related to what isbeing discussed. Since each user may have a preferred commentator, theability to allow third parties and users to introduce their owncommentary into the system 100 would also be beneficial for views of thee-sport event.

The public network 150 facilitates communication of the e-sports eventdata from the gaming server 140 with the plurality of user computingdevices 120. The public network 150 can also include one or more privatenetworks, such as, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network(WAN), or a network of public/private networks, such as the Internet.The Internet is a broad network of interconnected computers and serversallowing for the transmission and exchange of Internet Protocol (IP)data between user devices connected through a network service provider.Examples of network service providers include the public switchedtelephone network, a cable service provider, a provider of digitalsubscriber line (DSL) services, or a satellite service provider.

Developers 160 are also able to affect how the distribution of the livee-sport event data is performed. Developers 160 are able to interactwith the event server 130 and gaming server 140 using their respectivecomputing devices. For example, developers 160 may create, run, andmanage the live e-sport event. Furthermore, modifications to how thedistribution of the live e-sport event data are sent to the remoteviewers on their computing devices 120 can also be implemented by thedevelopers 160 such as identifying what advertisements should beincorporated and what additional information (e.g. statistics) should beshown during the distribution of the live e-sport event data.

The event data database 170 may be associated with the event server 130and used to store the live e-sport event data obtained from the livee-sports event 110. The event server 130 may be capable of obtaining avariety of different types of e-sport event data from the live e-sportevent 110 inclusive of video recordings, audio, and text-basedinformation.

The e-sport event data obtained from the live e-sport event 110 can besubsequently stored in the event data database 170. In some situations,the information stored in the event data database 170 can be accessed ata future time and date for example, to analyze and obtain statisticsabout the live e-sports event after the live event has been completed.Although the event server 130 can directly transmit the e-sport eventdata obtained from the live e-sport event 110, it may also be possiblethat the gaming server 140 access the event data database 170 for someor all the information that will be distributed to the users.

The advertisement database 180 is used to store a plurality of differentadvertisements that can incorporated into the streams of the e-sportevent data being provided to the users by the gaming server 140. Thegaming server 140 may include an advertisement profile that includesinformation regarding the types of advertisements that can beincorporated into the streams, for example, based on the e-sport eventbeing streamed, and the user viewing the stream. Advertising companies,streaming services and/or developers may be able to specify the types ofadvertisements that are incorporated into the e-sport event streams. Forexample, advertising companies may have user information that can beused to match particular advertisements to particular users on theircomputing devices 120. Streaming services may have agreements withparticular advertising companies to show certain advertisements duringthe course of streaming an event.

The event metadata database 190 is used to store the metadata associatedwith the e-sport event streams being provided to the user computingdevices 120. The gaming server 140 can generate the metadata to indicatewhat additional information (e.g. statistics, advertisements) can beincorporated with an event data stream and where in the stream theadditional information is incorporated. The metadata is associated withthe streams so that additional information (such as each statistics ofeach participating player within the e-sport event) can be incorporatedat appropriate times. For example, metadata may be used to link a playerkill/death ratio whenever that player kills another player or is killedby another player. Metadata can similarly be used to link relevant gamestate information to be displayed on the e-sport event data stream suchas the player's current equipment, health, level, and rank whenever thatplayer appears on the stream.

Each metadata generated by the gaming server 140 may be assigned aunique identification that is linked with e-sport event data used in astream. Because the metadata is uniquely identified to be associatedwith event data and is used to indicate where and when the additionalinformation is incorporated into the event data stream, it is notnecessary for the gaming server 140 to store the entire event data usedin the stream and the additional information obtained from the livee-sports event 110. Instead, whenever e-sport event data is used in astream, the corresponding metadata associated with the e-sport eventdata can be retrieved from the event metadata database 190 via thegaming server 140 querying the event metadata database 190 for anyrelevant metadata.

FIG. 2 is a user computing device 200 used in context of the system ofFIG. 1. The user computing device 200 (e.g., desktop, laptop, tablet,mobile device, console gaming system) is a device that the user canutilize to facilitate carrying out features of the present inventionpertaining to the scaled engagement and views for the e-sport event. Inparticular, the user computing device 200 allows the user to view thedistribution of live e-sport event data remotely. The user computingdevice 200 would facilitate the user viewing of the live e-sport eventdata via a display associated with the user computing device 200.

The user computing device 200 may include various elements asillustrated in FIG. 2. It should be noted that the elements areexemplary and that other embodiments may incorporate more or less thanthe elements illustrated. With reference to FIG. 2, the user computingdevice 200 includes a main memory 202, a central processing unit (CPU)204, at least one vector unit 206, a graphics processing unit 208, aninput/output (I/O) processor 210, an I/O processor memory 212, acontroller interface 214, a memory card 216, a Universal Serial Bus(USB) interface 218, and an IEEE 1394 interface 220, an auxiliary (AUX)interface 222 for connecting a tracking device 224, although other busstandards and interfaces may be utilized. The user computing device 200further includes an operating system read-only memory (OS ROM) 226, asound processing unit 228, an optical disc control unit 230, and a harddisc drive 232, which are connected via a bus 234 to the I/O processor210. The user computing device 200 further includes at least onetracking device 224.

The tracking device 224 may be a camera, which includes eye-trackingcapabilities. The camera may be integrated into or attached as aperipheral device to user computing device 200. In typical eye-trackingdevices, infrared non-collimated light is reflected from the eye andsensed by a camera or optical sensor. The information is then analyzedto extract eye rotation from changes in reflections. Camera-basedtrackers focus on one or both eyes and record their movement as theviewer looks at some type of stimulus. Camera-based eye trackers use thecenter of the pupil and light to create corneal reflections (CRs). Thevector between the pupil center and the CR can be used to compute thepoint of regard on surface or the gaze direction. A simple calibrationprocedure of the viewer is usually needed before using the eye tracker.

Alternatively, more sensitive trackers use reflections from the front ofthe cornea and that back of the lens of the eye as features to trackover time. Even more sensitive trackers image features from inside theeye, including retinal blood vessels, and follow these features as theeye rotates.

Most eye tracking devices use a sampling rate of at least 30 Hz,although 50/60 Hz is most common. Some tracking devises run as high as1250 Hz, which is needed to capture detail of very rapid eye movement.

A range camera may instead be used with the present invention to capturegestures made by the user and is capable of facial recognition. A rangecamera is typically used to capture and interpret specific gestures,which allows a hands-free control of an entertainment system. Thistechnology may use an infrared projector, a camera, a depth sensor, anda microchip to track the movement of objects and individuals in threedimensions. This user device may also employ a variant of image-basedthree-dimensional reconstruction.

The tracking device 224 may include a microphone integrated into orattached as a peripheral device to user computing device 200 thatcaptures voice data. The microphone may conduct acoustic sourcelocalization and/or ambient noise suppression. The microphones may beusable to receive verbal instructions from the user to schedule,retrieve and display content on the user computing device 200.

Alternatively, tracking device 224 may be the controller of the userdevice 200. The controller may use a combination of built-inaccelerometers and infrared detection to sense its position in 3D spacewhen pointed at the LEDs in a sensor nearby, attached to, or integratedinto the console of the entertainment system. This design allows usersto control functionalities of the user computing device 200 withphysical gestures as well as button-presses. The controller connects tothe user computing device 200 using wireless technology that allows dataexchange over short distances (e.g., 30 feet). The controller mayadditionally include a “rumble” feature (i.e., a shaking of thecontroller during certain points in the game) and/or an internalspeaker.

The controller may additionally or alternatively be designed to capturebiometric readings using sensors in the remote to record data including,for example, skin moisture, heart rhythm, and muscle movement.

As noted above, the user computing device 200 may be an electronicgaming console. Alternatively, the user computing device 200 may beimplemented as a general-purpose computer, a set-top box, or a hand-heldgaming device. Further, similar user devices may contain more or lessoperating components.

The CPU 204, the vector unit 206, the graphics processing unit 208, andthe I/O processor 210 communicate via a system bus 236. Further, the CPU204 communicates with the main memory 202 via a dedicated bus 238, whilethe vector unit 206 and the graphics processing unit 208 may communicatethrough a dedicated bus 240. The CPU 204 executes programs stored in theOS ROM 226 and the main memory 202. The main memory 202 may containpre-stored programs and programs transferred through the I/O Processor210 from a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical disc (not shown) using theoptical disc control unit 232. The I/O processor 210 primarily controlsdata exchanges between the various devices of the user device 200including the CPU 204, the vector unit 206, the graphics processing unit208, and the controller interface 214.

The graphics processing unit 208 executes graphics instructions receivedfrom the CPU 204 and the vector unit 206 to produce images for displayon a display device (not shown). For example, the vector unit 206 maytransform objects from three-dimensional coordinates to two-dimensionalcoordinates, and send the two-dimensional coordinates to the graphicsprocessing unit 208. Furthermore, the sound processing unit 230 executesinstructions to produce sound signals that are outputted to an audiodevice such as speakers (not shown).

For VR and AR embodiments, the graphics processing unit 208 would stillprovide the live e-sports data to the display device (not shown)associated with the user computing device 200. The display device (notshown) would be a head-mounted display that would be capable ofreceiving the rendered virtual environment provided by the graphicsprocessing unit 208 using the live e-sports data. For example, the livee-sports data could have the graphics processing unit 208 render theview of the live e-sport event as if the viewer was sitting in aparticular seat of an arena/stadium where the live e-sport event ishappening. Alternatively, the live e-sports data could have the graphicsprocessing unit 208 render the view as corresponding to within the videogame associated with the live e-sports event.

A user of the user computing device 200 provides instructions via thecontroller interface 214 to the CPU 204. For example, the user mayinstruct the CPU 204 to store certain information on the memory card 216or instruct the user device 200 to perform some specified action.Example controllers associated with the controller interface 214 usablein both VR and non-VR embodiments may include a touch-screen, keyboardsand game controllers.

Other devices may be connected to the user computing device 200 via theUSB interface 218, the IEEE 1394 interface 220, and the AUX interface222. Specifically, a tracking device 224, including a camera or a sensormay be connected to the user computing device 200 via the AUX interface222, while a controller may be connected via the USB interface 218. Insome embodiments, a VR headset or related hardware equipment may becommunicatively coupled to computing device 200 via one or morecomputing interfaces. Hardware and related software for implementing anaugmented reality (AR) experience may similarly be coupled to computingdevice 200 via one or more computing interfaces.

FIG. 3 is the gaming server 300 of FIG. 1. The gaming server 300includes a plurality of different features that facilitates the scaledengagement and views in an e-sports event. As illustrated in the figure,the gaming server 300 may include an application program interface (API)310, storage for user profiles 320, storage for advertisement profiles330, e-sport event data storage and buffer 340, metadata module 350,storage for video game assets 360, AR/VR module 370, and communicationinterfaces 380. Details regarding each of these features will beprovided below in further detail.

The application program interface (API) 310 allows an entity to managehow live e-sport event data is distributed to remote viewers. Using theAPI 310, an administrator (e.g. developer, tournament organizer) cancustomize and modify how the gaming server operates with respect to whatdata is retrieved from the event server, what data is processed andgenerated from the event server, and how the e-sport event data isdistributed to the remote viewers. For example, the administrator(through the use of the API 310 can create and/or modify the informationassociated with the various user profiles 320 and advertisement profiles330 that indicate the types of additional content that will beimplemented into the distribution of the live e-sport event data to theremote viewers.

Furthermore, any updates needed with respect to the features associatedwith the gaming server can be implemented using the API 310 as well. Forexample, various video games may obtain patches and or other fixesduring the course of a live e-sport event or between live e-sportevents. The API 310 can be used to modify the video game assets 360 toincorporate those patches and other fixes as well.

The user profile 320 is used to store information about each remoteviewer. Remote viewers may need to create their own profile and sign into their respective profiles before being allowed to access/view livee-sport event data. The user profiles 320 would be used by the gamingserver 300 to identify the types of modifications to the live e-sportevent stream that can be carried out to better immerse the user in theviewing experience.

In embodiments where people would need to purchase a ticket to attendthe live e-sport event in person, remote viewers may also be required topurchase from one of many possible different tickets or purchasesubscriptions in order to remotely view the live e-sport event. If thereare different tickets or different status based on subscription types,the user profile 320 can store the information related to the remoteuser. There may be, for example, different features or viewpointsavailable for a user based on their status associated with a particularticket and/or subscription purchase. If ticket A allows a “nose bleed”vantage point of the live e-sport event while ticket B allows “courtside” vantage point of the live e-sport event, the particular ticketpurchased will be stored in the user profile 320.

The user profile 320 may also store user preferences about thedistribution of the live e-sport event data being remotely viewed ontheir user computing device. For example, the user profile 320 cancustomize preferred viewpoints, preferred additional information to bedisplayed, preferred commentators, and what advertisements they may beinterested in. The user profile 320 can be updated anytime by therespective user through their user computing device.

The user profile 320 can also store information about the user computingdevices. This information can be used by the gaming server 300 toidentify how the live e-sport event data can be processed andtransmitted. This may identify, for example, the format the live e-sportevent data would need to be transmitted in order to be compatible withthe user computing device. With all the information about the userstored in the user profile 320, the gaming server 300 would be able toidentify the appropriate version of the live e-sport event data to bedistributed.

The advertisement profile 330 is used to store information thatinstructs what advertisements can be shown to users and when they shouldbe shown. Different advertisements may be incorporated into thedistribution of the live e-sport event data based on, for example, userpreference, video game genre, and video game title. Some profiles 330may include user preferences so that each user is provided a relevantadvertisement.

Upon the gaming server identifying metadata corresponding to thedistribution of the live e-sport event data associated with anadvertisement that should be incorporated, the gaming server can querythe advertisement profile 330 to identify one or more advertisementsthat should be incorporated. The advertisement profile 330 may includeinformation identifying where certain advertisements are stored insituations where advertisements are stored in separate database. Onceretrieved, the advertisement can be implemented into the distribution ofthe live e-sport event data and sent to each remote viewer on theircomputing device. It is possible that each user can have differentadvertisements based on their preference. It is also possible that asingle advertisement can be provided to all remote viewers based on thedistribution of the live e-sport event data.

The e-sport event data storage and buffer 340 is used to store e-sportevent data coming from the event server. The e-sport event data storageand buffer 340 may be used to temporarily store the e-sport data untilit can be processed and used in the distribution of the live e-sportevent data.

The metadata module 350 generates metadata for the e-sport event databeing distributed to the remote viewers on their computing devices. Thegenerated metadata identifies the types of information to beincorporated into the distribution of the live e-sport event data aswell when that information should be presented. For example, metadatamay be generated based on whenever a particular player's avatar appearsin the distribution of the live e-sport event data and instructs thatadditional information regarding that player's avatar's health,progress, and other game-related statistics be displayed in a bubblenearby the player's avatar. The metadata can also be used to identifythe advertisements that should be incorporated into the distribution ofthe live e-sport event data.

The metadata generated by the metadata module 350 is uniquely associatedwith the distribution of the live e-sport event data. This can beperformed, for example, by providing unique labels that connect one withthe other. In this way, the e-sport event data used in distribution tothe remove viewers can be stored separately from the metadata that isgenerated. However if the e-sport event data is ever retrieved andviewed by the user, the corresponding metadata can be queried andapplied accordingly.

Storage for video game assets 360 includes assets associated with thelive e-sport event. The stored assets are used by the gaming server toreconstruct gameplay of the video game using the e-sport event data fromthe event server. In addition to possibly using video-based informationfrom players or in-game information from the event server, the gamingserver would also be able to recreate gameplay using the e-sport eventdata. This may include generating a comprehensive map of allparticipants.

The use of the video game assets 360 can also be used to generatedifferent viewpoints that would not be available within the video gameitself. This can be tied with the AR/VR module 370 where the gameplayassets would be useful in generating a three-dimensional simulation ofthe in-game environment in an AR or VR setting allowing a first personperspective for the user on their computing device. The AR or VRperspective may also place the user's viewpoint as the player's avatar.

The AR/VR module 370 may also introduce audio and other interactionsrelated to other users or attendees at the live e-sport event. Forexample, the AR/VR module 370 may include the cheers and taunts of theattendees so that the viewer would be able to experience what theatmosphere would be like. Features (e.g. chat) could also be introducedby the AR/VR module that allows the viewer to interact with variousattendees at the live e-sport event.

The communication interface 380 facilitates communication between thevarious features of the system of FIG. 1. For example, this wouldfacilitate transmission of information from the event server to thegaming server as well as from the gaming server to the remote viewers.The communication interface 380 also facilitates user interactions (e.g.developer, commentators) with the gaming server.

The commentator module 390 facilitates the implementation ofcommentators into the distribution of the live e-sport event data. Thecommentator module 390 can provide unique user interface and tools thatwould allow commentators to control how the displays associated with thedistribution of the live e-sport event data are generated and presented,for example, what additional information should be shown and whatviewpoint to use.

FIG. 4 is a method 400 for providing the scaled engagement and views toa remote viewer. The remote viewer would be provided, for example via abroadcast stream, distribution of live e-sport event data that has beencustomized for a more immersive viewer experience. The scaled engagementand views can be implemented via VR and non-VR embodiments. Thecustomization can also incorporate advertisements for the purpose ofproviding possible monetization as well.

In step 410, e-sport data is obtained from the live e-sport event. Thetypes of information collected during the course of the live e-sportevent can be customized to focus on the types of information used tocalculate particular statistics and/or particular participants. If thereis a desire to provide a more immersive experience using other audiencemembers during the live e-sport event (for example for a VR or ARembodiment that includes audience interaction), information associatedwith the live audience may be collected as well. Exemplary audienceinformation may include audio of various attendees' cheers, commentary,and taunts that have been captured via microphones associated with thelive e-sport event.

Each venue that hosts a live e-sport event may have various featuresthat facilitate in the collection of information related to the livee-sport event. Cameras, microphones, and various other types of sensorscan be used to obtain information about what may currently be happeningwith respect to the video game (e.g. each video game competitor gamestate, progress, statistics) as well as information about the audienceattending the live e-sport event (e.g. reactions such as cheers/taunts,preferences regarding participants in the live e-sport events, andinteractions such as participation in surveys).

In some embodiments, the venue, tournament organizer, or developer thatis running and managing the live e-sport event may also provide specificcomputing devices (e.g. consoles, desktops) for each participant withinthe live e-sport event to use for the competition. These providedcomputing devices may have built in functions that directly collect anyand every type of information about each participant during the livee-sport event.

After being collected, the live e-sport event data will be sent to thegaming server so that it can be processed before being distributed toremote viewers who also would like to view the live e-sport event. Insome embodiments, the e-sport event data can also be stored in adatabase for reference at a later time. For example, stored e-sport datamay be accessed by the gaming server or other third party in order toobtain and process historical information (e.g. past performance) abouta particular player.

In step 420, the e-sport data obtained from the live e-sport event isprocessed. The processing is performed at the gaming server. The livee-sport event may be created, run, and managed by a tournamentorganizer, which in some cases may also be the developer of the videogame associated with the live e-sport event. The tournament organizerwould have gaming servers for use in processing the information comingfrom the live e-sport event which would subsequently be sent to theremote viewers on their respective user computing devices.

As an example, certain video games may already track certain statisticsof players associated with a video game. First person shooters mayalready track kills, deaths, and accuracy. In situations where the gamesdo not track these information or there are other detailed informationthat viewers may be interested in viewing (e.g. response time), it wouldbe possible to have the gaming server process the information comingfrom the live e-sport event in order to obtain this information.

Furthermore, the gaming server may have profiles for specific users (orgroups of users) identifying the types of detailed information that theremote viewers may be interested in viewing. Viewers who have played thegame and are invested in the competitive scene for a particular livee-sport event may be more prone view the detailed information comparedto casual viewers who have not played the game. Furthermore, it may bepossible that users can indicate what information they may want to view(and/or not want to view) specifically. In this way the gaming servercan be informed regarding what information should be associated withparticular distribution of live e-sport event data.

In step 430, the gaming server would generate an e-sport event displaybased on the processed live e-sport event data. The initial generatede-sport event display may include the video recording obtained of livee-sport gameplay. The display may also incorporate information obtainedfrom the live e-sport event such as audio from a live commentator and/ormusic being played. For AR/VR embodiments, the generated display couldbe a virtual simulation (that includes visuals and sounds) associatedwith a viewpoint within the live e-sport venue or within the videogameitself.

In some situations, the e-sport event display may also involvegenerating a comprehensive view of what is occurring within the gameusing information from multiple players simultaneously. In games thatutilize “fog-of-war” mechanics that obscure portions of the environmentbased on the player and/or team vision of the environment, the gamingserver could provide different views of what the gaming environmentwould be (e.g. complete, team-specific) for the remote viewers using thegameplay information from multiple users.

In step 440, the e-sport event display is modified to provide moreimmersive viewer experience. Metadata is associated with the e-sportevent display that is used to identify when and what type of additionalinformation should be associated with the e-sport event display. Forexample, metadata may be generated whenever a particular player isviewed within the display. This metadata may indicate that certainstatistics (e.g. level, role, health) for the player should always beshown when the player is present in the display. The metadata wouldallow users to comprehend the state of the game and track theinteresting elements of the live e-sport event.

The types of additional information to be included in the display can becustomized based on a user basis (e.g. user preference), or group basis(e.g. experience with the game, gender, viewer location). For example,users may be able to instruct that only certain players or teams shouldhave the additional information. In some cases, the users could alsoidentify the types of additional information to be included.

Further modification may include changing a point of view. Point of viewcan be selected to provide the best view of the most interestingevent(s) occurring within the live e-sport event. For example,preferences can be established (for example by the user who would liketo follow a particular player) beforehand that allows specific point ofview to be used whenever a particular player of interest (or group ofplayers) is participating within the e-sport event. The gaming servercan monitor the status of the live e-sport event and switch perspectivewithin the game whenever that player appears or is engaged with playersof the opposing team. Perspective changes may include changing thecamera angle within the game, providing that player's point of viewusing that player's game data, or providing another player's point ofview that includes that player of interest.

For virtual and augmented reality embodiments, it may be possible thatthe gaming server allows an administrator (e.g. commentator) to adjustthe point of view to follow particular events that are being commentedon occurring within the live e-sport event. The administrator interface(via their computing device) may allow control of the in-game camera orswitching between different player perspectives within the video game ofthe live e-sport event through a user interface. The user interface mayhave elements associated with each player and selection of one or moreelements may instruct the gaming server to generate a e-sport eventdisplay that corresponds to that point of view.

Other embodiments that allow an administrator using a virtual oraugmented reality to view and commentate the live e-sport event can alsofacilitate control of the camera through the use of motion control (e.g.gestures). For example, a certain hand gesture could allow theadministrator to zoom in/zoom out the camera, while a different gesturecould allow the administrator to move the camera to a differentposition.

The VR and AR embodiments could also introduce audio for additionalimmersion. For example, audio from the audience can be provided to theuser if the VR/AR simulation places the viewer within the live e-sportvenue. In another embodiment, audio from within the video game such asenvironmental sounds or in-game music could be used if the VR/ARsimulation places the viewer within the video game associated with thelive e-sport.

The gaming server can also provide different viewpoints for the livee-sport event based on different characterizations. For example, aremote viewer may request the same viewpoint as a particular player on ateam. Another viewpoint may be the viewpoint of a coach who may beresponsible of overseeing multiple players simultaneously. Alternativeviewpoints could be the view from within the venue of the live e-sportevent. For example, a user could be provided a spectator's viewpoint ofthe live e-sport event as if the remote viewer is actually attending thelive event. Each of these different viewpoints could be provided to theremote viewer based on, for example, a fee (e.g. ticket purchase) orpaid subscription. This would allow remote viewers to further customizetheir viewing display for a more immersive experience

Furthermore, advertisements can also be incorporated into the e-sportevent display to facilitate monetization of the distribution of livee-sport event data. Different advertisements may be provided based onthe distribution, the game involved, and/or the user viewing thedistribution. For example, advertising companies may already haveinformation about a number of different remote viewers and may have userprofiles associated with these viewers. At pre-determined periods oftime within the distribution of the live e-sport event data, the gamingserver may be instructed to retrieve related advertisements to show toremote viewers based on their user information.

It is also possible that the gaming server retrieve relatedadvertisements based on the current live e-sport event. Advertisementsmay be selected, for example, based on the genre or the particular gamebeing distributed. The e-sport event organizer and/or developer may alsoinfluence what types of advertisements are incorporated into thedistribution of the e-sport event.

In step 450, the live e-sport event data is distributed to the remoteusers on their respective user computing devices. Generally thesecomputing devices may include one or more displays that are used todisplay the e-sport event data (e.g. video) for the remote viewers toview. In some embodiments, the user computing device may be a computingdevice with an accompanying wearable headset that allows for display ofvirtual reality or augmented reality environments. At the very least,the e-sport event data streams should be viewable using any number ofdifferent existing video players associated with the user computingdevice and/or public network as well.

The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order tobest explain the principles of the technology and its practicalapplication to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe technology in various embodiments and with various modifications asare suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that thescope of the technology be defined by the claim.

What is claimed:
 1. A method for providing scaled engagement and viewsof a live electronic sport (e-sport) event, the method comprising:collecting information from a live e-sport event that includes one ormore in-game elements; generating statistics about players within thelive e-sport event based on the collected information; generating adisplay that presents the live e-sport event from a perspective of anin-game camera using the collected information from the live e-sportevent, wherein the generated display is associated with the generatedstatistics; modifying the generated display for a remote viewer usingthe generated statistics, wherein modifying the generated displayincludes implementing the live e-sport event to be displayed within anaugmented reality environment and adjusting the perspective of thein-game camera to follow at least one of the in-game elements inaccordance with a preference of the remote viewer; and distributing themodified display to a user device of the remote viewer.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the collected information from the live e-sport eventincludes game related information from event-specific computing devicesused by the players within the live e-sport event.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the collected information from the live e-sport eventincludes information regarding an audience and audience reactions to thelive e-sport event.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying thegenerated display further includes incorporating advertisements.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein modifying the generated display is furtherbased on a user profile associated with the remote viewer, wherein theuser profile identifies the preference as being related to one or moreof the detailed statistics of interest to the remote viewer.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, wherein the user profile further identifies one ormore additional preferences related to one or more types ofadvertisements of interest to the remote viewer.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein modifying the generated display further includes providing aplurality of different perspectives of the live e-sport event, thedifferent perspectives based on different camera angles of the livee-sport event associated with the collected information.
 8. The methodof claim 1, wherein the remote viewer is provided one or more functionsselectable to interact with one or more other viewers.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the remote viewer is provided audio from one or moreother viewers.
 10. A system for providing scaled engagement and views ofa live electronic sport (e-sport) event, the system comprising: an eventserver that collects information from a live e-sport event that includesone or more in-game elements, wherein the information includes playerinputs and video gameplay information; and a gaming server that:generates statistics about players within the live e-sport event basedon the collected information; generates a display that presents the livee-sport event from a perspective of an in-game camera using thecollected information from the live e-sport event, wherein the generateddisplay is associated with the generated statistics; modifies thegenerated display for a remote viewer using the generated statistics,wherein modifying the generated display includes implementing the livee-sport event to be displayed within an augmented reality environmentand adjusting the perspective of the in-game camera to follow at leastone of the in-game elements in accordance with a preference of theremote viewer; and distributes the modified display to a user device ofthe remote viewer.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the collectedinformation from the live e-sport event includes game relatedinformation from event-specific computing devices used by the playerswithin the live e-sport event.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein thecollected information from the live e-sport event includes informationregarding an audience and audience reactions to the live e-sport event.13. The system of claim 10, wherein modifying the generated e displayfurther includes incorporating advertisements.
 14. The system of claim10, wherein modifying the generated display is further based on a userprofile associated with the remote viewer, wherein the user profileidentifies the preference as being related to one or more of thedetailed statistics of interest to the remote viewer.
 15. The system ofclaim 14, wherein the user profile further identifies one or moreadditional preferences related to one or more types of advertisements ofinterest to the remote viewer.
 16. The system of claim 10, whereinmodifying the generated display further includes providing a pluralityof different perspectives of the live e-sport event, the differentperspectives based on different camera angles of the live e-sport eventassociated with the collected information.
 17. The system of claim 10,wherein the remote viewer is provided one or more functions selectableto interact with one or more other viewers.
 18. The system of claim 10,wherein the remote viewer is provided audio from one or more otherviewers.
 19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium havingembodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processorto perform a method for providing scaled engagement and views of a liveelectronic sport (e-sport) event, the method comprising: collectinginformation from a live e-sport event that includes one or more in-gameelements; generating statistics about players within the live e-sportevent based on the collected information; generating a display thatpresents the live e-sport event from a perspective of an in-game camerausing the collected information from the live e-sport event, wherein thegenerated display is associated with the generated statistics; modifyingthe generated display for a remote viewer using the generatedstatistics, wherein modifying the generated display includesimplementing the live e-sport event to be displayed within an augmentedreality environment and adjusting the perspective of the in-game camerato follow at least one of the in-game elements in accordance with apreference of the remote viewer; and distributing the modified displayto a user device of the remote viewer.